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Japanese robot astronaut talks about Christmas in first chat with spaceman

Updated
Sat 21 Dec 2013, 4:04 AM AEDT

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Japan robot astronaut chats with spaceman

ABC News

The world's first robot astronaut has begun chatting to the Japanese commander of the International Space Station, in what was being touted as the first conversation of its kind.

Kirobo, a small android equipped with artificial intelligence and capable of learning how to respond appropriately to humans, even put in a request for Christmas, telling astronaut Koichi Wakata he wanted Santa to deliver him a toy rocket.

"Santa Claus will come to space," Kirobo told Wakata as they drifted in zero gravity hundreds of kilometres above the Earth.

"What will you ask for from Santa Claus, Kirobo?" asked the Japanese astronaut.

"I want a toy rocket," Kirobo responded.

The unscripted exercise is part of a longer-term project to see whether a robot can act as a companion for isolated people, particularly to see if it can develop conversational skills.